Vehicle-body



OFFICE.

TOLEDO, OHIO, AssIGNoR, BY MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO'THE OHIO,` A CORPORATION or OHIO.

jvEHIcLE-BODY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 5, 1921.

` Application led .Tune 4, 1917. Serial No. 172,740.

To all 'whom tm/ay concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD I-I. BELDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Bodies, of which I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description.

his invention relates to improvements in vehicle bodies, and particularly to vehicle bodies of the convertible' type which may be converted from an open to a closed body by the complete removal of the pillars, which serve as guides for thewindows, the windows being dropped into the body.

The principal object ,of this invention 1s to provi e in a convertible body of this t YPG! a complete removable pillar construction,

which avoids the use of hinge connections at either top or bottom, the connections between Vthe pillar and the top and body being effected bymeans of detachableV connections which serve'to tension the pillar` longitudi- VVnally. A further object of my invention is such a nature that the and pointed out to provide a removable pillar construction of by a' straight lateral movement thereof without Vany tilting, twistingor turning. 'Another object ofimy invention is to provide a and lbody respectively by means of yieldingv detachable connections which exert 'a longitudinal stress upon the pillar. Y

Further Objects, and Objects'relating to fecon'omies of manufacture and details of construction will definitely appear from the detailed description to follow. I accomplish the objects of my invention by the devices and means' described in the following specication. The invention is clearly defined in the appended claims.

Astructure constituting a Ypreferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure I is a fragmentary view in side elevation of a motor vehicle embodying my invention. Fig. II is an enlarged, 'fragvmentary, sectional view, taken on the line II-II of Fig. I. Fig. III is an enlarged, fragmentary view in side elevation, showing the connectionbetween the upper end of the removable pillar and the top. Fig. IV is a fragmentary, sectional view taken on the line lars 14, disposed pillar can be removeddetachably connected at the wardly extending Y V. Yoke a wrench or IV-IV of Fig. II. Fig. V is a view similar to Fig.,IV showingthe locking means released to permit of the removal of the pillar. Fig. VI is a detail, perspective view of one of the keepers carried by the top and body. Fig. VII is a detail perspective view of the upper end of the face plate covering the locking device. Fig. VIII is an enlarged, fragmentary, detail, sectional view taken on the line VIII-VIII of Fig. III. Fig. IX is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line IX`IX of Fig. III.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and the sectional views are taken looking in the direction of the little arrows at the ends of the section lines.

Considering the numbered parts of the drawings', I have shown my invention embodied in a motor vehicle comprising a body 10, a permanent top 13, and removable pilbetween said top and body, and serving as guides for the -windows 15. At the top and bottom of the removable pillars, thereare provided recesses 16, in which The face plate 17 is secured to the pillar 14 by the screws 18, and covers the recessflV in the pillar. The upper end 19 of said face plate is bent rearwardly and mortised into the upper end of the pillar. 'The latch 21 is disposed in the recess 16, and isV provided with an upwardly bent tongue 20, which is riveted to the vface plate 17, and with upparallel spring locking arms 23, which toward their upper ends are bent toward each other and extend through an opening 25, in thev portion l19 of the face plate. These Varms are provided with the outwardly and upwardly directed beveled fingers 24as clearly shown in F igs. IV and 26 is vcarried by the face plate 17 and the spindle 27 carrying the locking cam 28 is pivotally mounted in the face plate 17 and the yoke 26, with said locking cam 28 disposed betweenthe spring arms 23 of the latch. The outer end of the spindle 27 is provided with a polygonal head 29 to receive suitable device for turning the spindle. A keeper is secured to the top 13 in position to be engaged by the locking device and comprises an angle plate having a vertical portion An opening34 is provided in thephorizontal 3() and a horizontal portion 33..-

portion, corresponding .to the opening 1n the Yportion 19 of the face plate 17, and there is also providedv a narrow mouth 35 for said opening 84. A slot 36 is provided in the A vertical portion` of the `l eepe1,said slot VIV, I have shown edges offthe openings p mounted in the'top *andl body respectively. P

25 The'loclking fingers l i ratedlby Vtddraw :the topfl)r 'toward of theA pillar 14,

said opening 34,

being somewhat wider'than the opening 34, and connecting with the mouthA 35, so that the mouth and the slot make j one complete opening 36' together 24 of the' latch through which the Alingers may pass when inserting' the' removable Y j '.pillarin place.v

V,Fromithe descriptionof the parts given above,A the operation of myjdevice should be veryreadily understood. fln Figs. 1,11 and the pillar locked in position lwith respect to' the vehicle body. t

'will be' seen that Vthe cams 28 are rotated so as to separate the arms 23 'aiicliorce' the locking fingers .24 into" engagement' *with the 34 of the keepers 24 are beveled upwardly and Voutwardly` so that as they engage the edges of' the opening 34,7when-they. are 'sepameans of thecam 28, theyl will tend the upper en and, similarlyg'the lat'ch21 thezpillar will' tendjto on' the lower end @of i draw the pillar toward'the body"'1( ),iso that,

when .the removable pillar-is'inriplace, and

the, VloclingfV devices are Ylocked, Vthe pillar will beldrawntightly against theb'ody 10 andv the'topl?) will bedrawn tightly against fthe 'upper end 'of thexpillar-14,..soV tha-ttbe pillarisii'gidly clampedy in" place between the body. When the cami 28 Y arms 23,'the lingers' 24are Amoved laterally ing34 (seeFigslIandYIX) to prevent .lat-f Y 'jrearffacefof the verticalportion 3011i the lrvkeeper and rear walliof. openingj34.

I so .that the edges l In' orderrtolconi'fert 1 closed to *an open one, dropped into ltheir pockets an 'thereof engage Y' the Vrear face ofthe vertical portion- 30 of thekeeper to prevent lateral I movement of the pillar while the opposite edges of in'oneV direction, A

therearlwall of the opentheYarm 23 engage eral movement in the oppositefdirection=` It if 'willbe therefore evident that-when the loch- Y e pillar is rigidly sioned longitujdinally througlilV the engage# pmentoi` `opening 374,l yand ing v'arms 23 are separated bythe cam, the

heldin place, beingY tenf the lingers' 24 with the" edges'oif' the being held against vlateral movement in both directionsY by the engagement lof the edges of the fingers 24 with. the

the vehicle vfrom-a the'windows 15 are 'are rotated sofas tojallowthe spring locking varms 23 to Vappr'oah Yach Yother as shown in y l Fig. YWhen saidloclring arms. 23have eornetdthis position; the fingers-.24 are lsui?- d I claimYV as' new and said ams being d the cams.Y 28

Y icientlyclose together*that they will pass -A through the sletY SY inthe keeperfg'lhepremovable pillars Vcan then heVV removed by"a ysingle lateral'movement,the fingers 24 oY the locking devices passingV out through the slots 36. It will be Yseen that the k.pillars can 'loY Y- bevery easily released or locked in position and that the'construction of theflockin'gde'- vices isfveiysimile and of such a nature that'it will not interfere with the finish on the inside of thevehicle, the locking devices being adapted to be concealed beneath the iupholstery. Itisfurther apparent that this removable pillar construction isysuch that the pillar is tensioned in place andV held irmly'against lateral movement'or twisting Y or turning so as to clamp vibration of Ythe car; 'I Y Y Y Y 'I have found that this specific embodiment of my. invention is verydesirable from;

many standpointsibut amfalso aware that git may Ybe varied Y therefore, l desireV to" c lai'm my ViIlYQIJftiori "broadly,fandfspeeiiically, appended claims. *Y Y .Having Ythus described myginvention,

Y bodilyl :lateral movement relative 'itheretogV `without tilting movementLo-'th'e means 'jtoi secureY lposition-YYbetv'reen said comprising Y tener l'secured to s'aidbodyandltop portions,

respectively, Y'

Y Y Vconsiderably*{without 4de-V ar-ting from! the spiritof'myinventiorn'andV V v as indicated byfthe f thep-ilIar rigidly Y in place and4 prevent any Yrg'tttledue toy the' what 'Y Y Y desire tosecure'gbyLetq Y I V1'. In a Vvehicle body-providedwith" abody r Y theieoifnbi-nation ating member for. forcing` Y'saidfcoperat-Yi i Y Ving elements into engagementwith tlielele-Y 'ments on. thefbody and topiiportions, :said

'Ycoperating elementsfbeing, constructed and 1 arranged'to automatically'moveoutrofrsuch Y engagementvhenreleesedbrsald'Operaties member. 1

- Y 2; .in a vena@ toev iirovidea wil-.hama

' portion kand f a top .r 'or.tion',l

theicombinationj Y VYmeans YY"for 'detachably securing one; endV of i said "pillarV tol one of 'saidportions,`fcempris ing a Y'plate seciiredftoVthefinner Yiace of said pillar, lockinggarms' 'seeuredltof said .plate and located in mounted in said plateand provided 'with la a recessinsaid pillar, Y.. Y Y ymovabletowardandY aw-aylj' Y Yfrom each other and l extending-beyondA theV .Y cam disposed between saidarrrisand adapted Y 'Y toVY move'k thejsame apart; tand'Y a* keeper ise- "cured to. 'said portion,- Vandfprovided{fWithY a Y slot y permitthe passage-'0i the! proj eating'l ist ends of said arms, in said slot by a pillar and locked said ends being insertible lateral movement of said to said keeper when said arms are moved apart by said cam.

3. In a vehicle body provided with a body portion and a top portion, the combination therewith of a demountable pillar, and means for detachably securing one end oi" said pillar to one of said portions, comprising a keeper secured to said portion, a locking and tensioning device carried by the end of said pillar, said device comprising a pair of arms provided at their free ends With upwardly and outwardly inclined lingers engageable with said keeper to draw said 1portion and the end of said pillar into c osefitting engagement, and means for separating the arms of said fork to cause said inclined fingers to engage said keeper.

4. In a vehicle body provided with a body portion and a top portion, the combination therewith of a demountable pillar, and means for detachably securing one end of said pillar to one of said portions, comprising a keeper secured to said portion and provided with a slot, and a U-shaped member secured to said pillar and having outturned ends insertible in said slot by a lateral movement of said pillar, and means for forcing said out-turned ends away from each other to lock said member and keeper together.

5. In a vehicle body provided with a body portion and a top portion, the combination therewith of a demountable pillar, and means for detachably securing one end of said pillar to one of said portions, comprising a keeper Secured to one of said parts and provided with an opening, a member secured to the other of said parts and insertible in said opening by a lateral movement of said pillar in one plane, said member when located in said opening being movable laterally in a different plane to engage said keeper to bind and lock said parts together, and means for moving said member laterally.

6. In a vehicle body provided with a body portion and a top portion, the combination therewith of a demountable pillar, and means for detachably securing one end of said pillar to one of said portions, comprising a keeper secured to one of said parts and provided with an opening, a member secured to the other of said parts and having an inclined end portion, said end portion being insertible in said opening by a lateral movement of said pillar in one plane and when located in said opening being movable laterally in a different plane to engage said keeper to draw said pillar into tensioned engagement with said body or top portion, and means for moving said member laterally.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

EDWARD H. BELDEN. 

